The Perfect Moment
by Rosalie Duquesne
Summary: A one shot I thought of during class XD If u guys want me to continue I'll only write like one more cho though ;
1. Chapter 1

_**Heyy guys, just taking a small break form my other fic to write this nonsensical one-shot here. I thought of it a while ago, like before Cal and Eric even got together, but I tweaked it to make it that they were. Slight spoilers for "Bad Seed" Although everyone already knows what happens in that epi :'( sigh**_

_**It is set after "Bad Seed"…hope you guys enjoy!!**_

_**Just something that I thought of in class, not anything special!! Lol**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own CSI: Miami or its characters, I just borrow them. Besides, even if I did own them, "Bad Seed" wouldn't even have been thought of.**_

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"No way!" Maxine exclaimed, "I refuse to believe that you went out with Wolfe!" Natalia chuckled, "Well believe it. We had a lot of fun, but I don't think we really clicked, you know?"

Maxine nodded, "But I still need to know what happened!"

Natalia shook her head, a smiled gracing her lips, "No way. I would never do that to Ryan." Maxine laughed, "Aw, come on! It's not like he would know that I know!"

Natalia shook her head once again, "You don't know that, besides, I'd still feel bad for telling you something like that."

"Please?" Maxine pouted. Natalia cocked her head to the said and said firmly, "Nope." Valera crossed her arms in defeat and sighed, "Fine."

Natalia smiled and looked over to Calleigh, who happened to be in another world. She was staring intently at the other end of the park with a smile on her face. She seemed to be in her own dream world, where everything was so incredibly wonderful that she had a permanent smile on her face. Following her gaze, Natalia found the object of Calleigh's affection. Or rather the person.

Eric Delko.

He was on the pit with Frank, ensuring that he didn't burn the food at his farewell picnic. Eric quitting CSI was definitely very had on the team. They felt like they were losing a key component in their team, an important member in their dysfunctional family. It was like they were losing a son and a brother. However, they needed to be able to get along without him.

Watching him cook, Calleigh remembered the countless amounts of times he had cooked for her. Often followed by…strenuous activities. She felt her cheeks go warm and she bit her lip, attempting, in vain, to forget what it frequently led to. The blush that came over her cheeks didn't go unnoticed by Natalia and Maxine.

"Calleigh, stop fantasizing about your man!" Maxine said, almost too loudly.

"I am not fantasizing about him," Calleigh rebutted without thinking. Natalia and Maxine's eyes widened in disbelief. Did she really just admit it?

"Not that Eric's my man…it's just- I- we aren't-" Calleigh let out a groan and ran her fingers through her hair. She really did not mean to say that out loud.

A grin spread across Natalia's face as she held out her hand to Maxine. "Nuh uh," Maxine said, "I am yet to see proof."

"What proof do you need?" Natalia asked incredulously, "She just admitted it!"

"What if she was lying?" Natalia scoffed, "Oh come on! She obviously said that subconsciously! Didn't you see the look on her face after she said it?"

Maxine shook her head, adamant in her decision, "No money until I see the proof!"

As Natalia and Maxine continued to argue, Calleigh sighed and pulled out her phone. _This cannot be good, _she thought.

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"It's a good thing I showed up, Frank," Eric said with a smile. "Nothing would have happened, _Delko,_" Frank replied, "I had it under control."

"Sure, Frank."

"Shut up, Delko." Eric laughed. Feeling his phone vibrating against his hip, he pulled it out of his pocket and opened it, noticing the text message from Calleigh.

_Meet me on the other side of the pond behind the tree. xx_

"Okay, prove yourself, Frank. Take over for a little while, I'll be right back," Eric said before walking off, leaving no room for Frank to argue. Passing through his close friends, Eric walked around the edge of the pond, looking at the scenery, while in search of his girlfriend. After the whole investigation they really had no time alone. They hadn't really talked at all to tell the truth. He had really missed her, and he intended to show her how much.

They didn't want to risk it- their relationship- after all, they still worked together. But now that Eric had left CSI, nothing was going to keep them apart, at least not in Eric's mind. He did not want to spend another moment of his life without her, and now that there were no stupid, unnecessary rules stopping them, he planned to deepen their relationship, if that was even possible.

Making his way around the bushes, he spotted a blonde head peering out at the pond, her body leaning against the trunk of a tree. He stepped in front of her, obstructing her view with that of his handsome face. She smiled up at him, "Hey."

"Hey," he replied, mirroring her smile with one of his own, "What's up?"

She out a breath, her gaze returned to the pond as she answered him, "Maxine and Natalia know about us."

Eric's heart leapt in his chest, _There's still an 'us'? _Not saying that thought out loud, he opted for the second one that popped into his mind, "How?" Her face quickly turned a light shade of pink, one that Eric knew all too well. "They caught me looking at you," she said, her gaze still fixed on the scenery. Eric furrowed his brows in confusion, "What do you mean looking at me? What's wrong with…ooh." Realization dawned upon him. Then he chuckled.

She looked up at him, wearing the same look of confusion on her face that he had just moments ago, "What's so funny?"

"So many things," he said, still chuckling.

She crossed her arms. "Care to elaborate?" she asked playfully.

He sighed, his laughter ceasing as he looked into her bright green eyes. "It's just that…Up until now, I wasn't even sure there was an 'us'. Even when there was I wasn't even sure what it meant, I mean, we weren't able to be exclusive or anything."

She opened her mouth to speak, but her put a finger to her lips, silencing her before she even uttered a word. She smiled against his finger and he continued, "I tried so hard not to do anything during work. Not to touch you. Not to run my fingers through your hair. Not hug you from behind. Not to kiss you. It was so hard. And now…" he let out a breath," Now Natalia and Maxine know, and I really don't care. I want the world to know that you are my girlfriend. I want the world to know that I am in love with Calleigh Duquesne. _The _Calleigh Duquesne."

Calleigh blushed. Eric smiled at her and cupped her cheek in his hand, "I love you. Everything about you, and there is nothing stopping me from showing everyone out there."

"I love you, too," Calleigh whispered before pressing her lips to his. Smiling into the kiss, Eric bent down and lifted her up, one arm under her knees, the other on her back, bridal style. She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck, "You sure about this?"

"I've never been more sure about anything in my life, babe."

Calleigh grinned. She missed that, the names he always used to call her. She wouldn't lie, she definitely missed him these past few days. She wanted nothing more than to be in his arms, without any complications, without any rules, just them. The two of them. Together. Her heart warmed at the thought. She loved Eric Delko more than anything in this world and she was definitely not letting him go anywhere.

All of a sudden she heard a high-pitched squeal. She turned to see Maxine and Natalia with huge grins on their faces, Natalia practically bouncing on her heels at the look on Maxine's face. _She definitely has proof now, _Calleigh thought. Her gaze then drifted to Alexx, she sat there smiling at Calleigh, already knowing how deep the two were. She then looked over and saw Ryan and Frank by the grill, staring at her and Eric, Ryan a huge grin on his face, Frank like a deer caught in the headlights. Calleigh laughed at him, then noticed the new guy, Jesse, smiling at her, giving her a thumbs up in approval.

Smiling and shaking her head, she turned to look at her boss. Taking off his shades, Horatio looked at Calleigh and smiled warmly, winking at her. She smiled back and ignored the warmth in her cheeks, feeling slightly embarrassed at the display of affection she was displaying to her boss and co-workers. She quickly got over it upon looking into Eric's eyes. She leaned in slowly and captured his lips with hers, seizing the perfect moment.

She smiled into the kiss upon hearing a chorus of 'aww's and wolf whistles. Pulling away she looked into his eyes once again, "I love you."

"Back at ya, babe. That's enough PDA for today, let's get back to the picnic and celebrate later." She nodded and her set her down on the grass, only to have her circled by Natalia and Maxine, who were bombarding her with questions. Slowly backing away, he walked back over to the grill, receiving claps on the back and 'congratulations' from the guys.

Returning to the food on the grill, he kept one hand in his pocket, fingering the small box that he would open later tonight, knowing exactly that it will be the perfect moment.

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_**So?? What'd ya think?? Review plz!! **_

_**Love all u hiphugger fans!!**_

_**We shall continue their legacy on this site!! :D**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Heyy guys!! Thanks for all the awesome reviews!! And of course I'll write another chp for u…here it is!! XD Special thanks to Mrs. Duquesne Delko, Liphuggers, C.H.E.A.R. and CalleighEric my most loyal readers!! :D Love you guys!!**_

_**All of yall need to read their stories like I said before…cuz they rock!! :)**_

_**Anyways…omg that epi last night was awesome!! The best case epi they have ever had!! Like ever!! I was so amazed by it…like seriously.**_

_**And contrary to what everyone else thought…I looooooved the Calleigh and Eric scene. Him leaving is like THE WORST THING EVER IN THE HISTORY OF CSI: MIAMI…but them staying together is even better!! Cuz she is all like "What about you and me?" and he just stays silent then she says, "That's not the only game in town" then they kiss! Well a peck…but a kiss nonetheless!! And it was adorable!! They are staying together!! XD**_

_**And I agree with nsynckal who said that she got the feeling that Eric might propose after 'Bad Seed' and I agree!! That is the main reason why I am definitely putting this chp up!! :D**_

_**Getting to the point here…lol enough rambling. Here's the next and last chp of this now two-shot. Hope you guys enjoy!! I had a blast writing it…had a hard time trying to figure out the ABSOLUTE PERFECT MOMENT, and I settled for this.**_

_**And you guys have to trust me when I tell you to listen to the song that inspired me when I wrote this chp…Fall Again by Glenn Lewis. Look it up and youtube and listen to it when I tell you to later on in this chp. It is THE sweetest most sentimental song, and my fav. So listen to it when I say to! :)**_

_**Hope you like it!! Review plz!!**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own it…and they wont even lend it to me…sigh**_

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His palms were sweating, his hand trembling in his pocket holding the small black box tightly in his fist. Today's case really gave him that push he needed to take this step. He realized how short life was, and that he couldn't stand not being engaged to her for even a second. He took in a shaky breath and walked up the stairs to Calleigh's apartment, thoughts racing through his mind.

Was he really going to do this? Propose to Calleigh?

A smile graced his lips, _hell_ _yea_. He had no doubt in his mind that he loved Calleigh. He was in love with her so much that it hurt. He wanted to have kids with her. He wanted to grow old with her. He wanted to be with her for the rest of his life. Now he was definitely certain, he was going to do this, he wanted to marry Calleigh. He could already envision her walking towards him, dressed in white, surrounded by light. Like an angel sent from heaven. He could hardly wait to have children with her. He wanted to have a little girl with her bright green eyes running through their house, light brown hair trailing behind her.

He paused in front of her door to check his watch. Right on time. Everything was set up for them already. After dropping her home from the picnic, he told her to be ready around seven and to dress formally. He had the perfect evening planned. And it was fool proof in his mind. Nothing could possibly go wrong.

He knocked on the door three times with his free hand, his left hand still gripping the small box. The door opened slowly, revealing Calleigh, dressed in a sleeveless green dress that flowed down to her ankles, bringing out the green in her eyes. A simple dress, yet Eric had never seen her look more beautiful. She had her hair curled and pulled back into a banana clip, a loose curl falling around her face. Eric noticed that she donned the necklace she had given him when he got shot, but he returned it saying it was hers. He thought it looked better on her anyway. On her feet were strappy silver heels, not higher than usual.

"You look amazing," he said, staring into her eyes. She smiled at him, "Thank you. You look pretty darn handsome yourself. Now are you gonna tell me where we're going?"

"Grab your jacket and let's go, or we'll be late."

She sighed in defeat and grabbed her jacket and purse, closing the door behind her as she exited. He grabbed her hand as they walked down the staircase, intertwining their fingers. Reaching the bottom of the staircase he led her to his car, where he opened the door for her. "Why thank you, sir."

"You're very welcome," he replied cheekily. He closed her door and got into the driver's side and buckled his seatbelt. "Are you going to tell me where we're going?"

Sighing, Eric gave in. "We're going to dinner with our parents," he replied, putting stress on 'our'. Calleigh became confused, "What? Why would you want to go to dinner wi- Wait, did you say _our_ parents? As in mine too?!"

Eric chuckled and nodded, "Don't worry about your parents, I talked to the two of them already, they're gonna behave." Calleigh scoffed, "Sure they are. But still, why do you want to do this?"

Taking her hand in his he said softly, "Don't worry, Cal. Tonight is going to be amazing, just sit back and relax. I want you to enjoy yourself."

"But-"

"Nuh uh," he cut her off, "I said to relax." She pouted, but ceased to argue, knowing that it would get her nowhere. Thoughts ran through her mind. _What exactly is Eric trying to accomplish by getting all of them together? I mean, my parents being in the same room can only lead to chaos. _Calleigh let out a breath, visibly relaxing. She trusted Eric, and that should be enough.

Noticing her visibly relaxing, Eric squeezed her hand lightly, catching her attention, "I love you."

That certainly caught her by surprise, she chuckled, "Back at ya, babe."

About ten minutes or so later, Eric pulled up in front of Angelo's. The most expensive restaurant in their part of Miami. Calleigh opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Eric once again, "Don't worry about how I can afford this. Just relax, and trust me."

She started to protest but Eric made that face. The face that always made Calleigh know when to stop. It was a cross between exasperation and sweetness, saying to her: "Will you just shut up and trust me?"

She sighed and watched as he got out of the car and walked over to her side, opening the car door for her. She slid out and straightened her dress, tucking the loose curl behind her ear. He held out his arm for her, and she took it with a smile on her face. They entered the restaurant and approached the little booth, a young man in uniform standing behind it awaiting the next customer.

"Table for Delko," Eric said coolly.

Pointing his finger into the book, searching for his name, he stopped and replied, "Yes, mister Delko. Follow me, please." Eric nodded and pulled Calleigh with him, their arms still linked. Walking through the restaurant, Calleigh wondered where they were going. Then they stopped in front of a small door, that looked like it led to a broom closet, causing Calleigh to become even more confused. "Your table is through here, everything is already set. If you need anything, do not hesitate to call," George said with a wink.

"Thanks." Eric opened the door and gestured for Calleigh to enter, "After you, beautiful."

She smiled sweetly at him, still going crazy on the inside as to what the hell Eric was trying to do. Gasping audibly, she took in her surroundings. The door led not to a closet, but to a rather large verandah looking over the Miami coast. The sun was about to set, creating the perfect ambience for the evening.

Looking straight ahead, Calleigh noticed a round table, four people seated around it. All four parents stood upon seeing the couple enter, all were dressed elegantly, as Eric ensured Calleigh would be.

Calleigh was speechless. There were rose petals on the floor, lit candles adorning the floor and the white table. Feeling his presence behind her, she turned to Eric and smiled at him, leaning up to press her lips to his. "It's beautiful. But I still don't get what my parents are doing here."

"You'll see. Relax."

She rolled her eyes at him and turned on her heel, walking towards the round table. She was quickly intercepted by Eric's mother, Clorinda, who greeted her with a bone-crushing hug. "Calleigh," she started, "It has been too long." Calleigh hugged her back and nodded, "Yes it has."

Pulling away, she looked behind Clorinda where Pavel stood. She smiled softly and walked towards him, engulfing him in a hug of her own, which he gratefully reciprocated. He pulled away and kissed her on her cheek, "It's good to see you again, my dear."

"You, too."

Taking in a deep breath she turned to face her mother, Emily. She looked exactly how she did three years ago. Calleigh loved her mother, really she did. It was just better that they communicated over the phone. They needed the physical distance. But seeing her now, it made Calleigh nervous and happy. She hadn't seen her mother in so long, she was overjoyed that she was here. She just wondered how the hell Eric got her to come, _with _her father here as well.

She smiled, tears in her eyes and pulled her mother into a deep embrace. Burying her face in the crook of her neck she mumbled, just barely audible, "I missed you, momma." Emily wrapped her arms around Calleigh's middle, holding her tight against her body. "I missed you, too, baby," she choked out, a tear running freely down her face.

Pulling away, Calleigh wiped the tear from her mother's cheek and smiled at her. She pulled her into another hug, and the two began to laugh nervously. They never thought they would end up here, not having seen each other in years. Pulling away, Emily gently pushed her daughter in the direction of her father. Calleigh slowed to a stop, looking at her father, not knowing what to expect.

The last time she spoke to her father, he was in trouble yet again. She had refused to help at first, but he's her father, so she felt inclined to help him. Ever since then, Calleigh told him that if he wanted help, that he had better be sober, otherwise she was severing all her ties with him. Every single one.

That certainly changed his mind from what Calleigh was seeing in front of her. There he stood, all prim and proper, looking sharp in his grey tux. She was proud of him. She ran towards him and engulfed him in the biggest hug she had ever given him.

"Fifteen months," he whispered into her ear. She choked out a laugh, knowing exactly what he was talking about, tears running down her cheeks. "I love you, so much."

"I love you, too, lambchop."

Calleigh pulled away and stared into her father's eyes, also wet with tears. He opened his mouth to speak, "You did good, Calleigh. Eric is a great man." Calleigh nodded and turned to face Eric, who was chatting animatedly with his mother, "Yeah, he is."

The six then sat down around the table, Calleigh's parents next to each other, acting humane to Calleigh's amazement. She took Eric's hand in hers and smiled at him, "Thank you. Thank you so much for this. I never thou-" he pressed his lips to hers, cutting her off.

"Relax," he said, for what must have been the twentieth time that night. She smiled at him and squeezed his hand. Dinner went by without a hitch, the waiter came in at the exact time Eric had planned and delivered their meals. It was a simple dinner with a small appetizer. After about fourty-five minutes, they had finished eating and were ready for dessert. The door opened and the same waiter came out, this time followed by two men, one with a violin, the other holding a flute. The walked to the corner of the room and began to play a soft, soothing melody that took Calleigh by surprise.

_**(NOW!! :))**_

Suddenly, Eric got up and held his hand out to her, silently asking her to dance. She placed her hand into his and got up slowly, her eyes never leaving his. He pulled her into his body, one arm resting on her hip, the other cradling her hand in his. Placing her head on his shoulder, she rested her hand on the same shoulder and moved with him in time with the music.

For a moment, she forgot where she was. For a moment it was only she and Eric, swaying to the music. For a moment, she thought that they were the only two people in the world. For a moment, she forgot their audience. For a moment, she thought that this was the single most romantic evening of her life. For much more than a moment, she realized how amazing Eric was. He was the best thing that _ever_ happened to her. She really couldn't imagine her life without him anymore.

"I love you," she whispered.

"Back at ya, babe." She smiled.

He pulled away slowly, looking into her bright green eyes. He cupped her face in his hands and pulled her face to his and kissed her tenderly. Calleigh whimpered softly into the kiss, feeling the passion and love he poured into it. He rested her forehead against hers, breaking the kiss. She closed her eyes and reveled in the moment, breathing in the scent of his cologne once again.

"Marry me."

Calleigh's eyes opened wide and she froze. Looking up at his face, she asked, "What?"

He took in a deep breath and held her hands in his. He knew what he had to say, what he wanted to say to her, but looking into her eyes, what he rehearsed was quickly forgotten.

"I love you. So unbelievably much it almost scares me. You complete me, Cal. You are the one I want to wake up to, the one I want to marry, the one I want to have kids with, the one I want to grow old with. Until you, I had no idea what true love was, what it felt like. I was born the moment you loved me, and I will live until you die, hopefully after me because I can't take that kind of pain."

She chuckled nervously, smiling at his sincerity. But was she prepared to do this? Marry him? Is this _really _what she wanted?

"Without you, I am nothing. Without you, I can't function. _You_ make me want to get up every day. _You _make my day complete. _You _make me want to live. You,CalleighDuquesne, _you are my life._ My heart. My soul. My everything. I want to be yours for as long as I live. Please, take me to be yours."

Tears slowly formed in her eyes, as she smiled widely at his confessions. He was pouring his whole heart out to her.

"I asked your parents to be here because this is the most important question I can ask you, and I _needed _to get their blessing. My parents just tagged along."

Calleigh grinned and laughter escaped her lips. She raised her hands to her face, wiping away the tears that escaped her. Eric then lowered himself down onto his left knee and pulled the small black box out of his pocket. Opening it, tears formed in her eyes once again. It was the most perfect ring she had ever seen. Simple and clean cut, symbolizing her in every form and fashion. Her hands still on her face, covering her nose and mouth, Eric spoke up.

"Calleigh Duquesne, the love of my life, my past, present and hopefully future," Calleigh chuckled at that, "Will you marry me?"

Tears flowed freely down her cheeks. She nodded, "Yes. Yes, I'll marry you."

Eric grinned and took the ring out of the box, and gingerly placed it on her left ring finger, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. He then stood up and pulled her into his arms slowly, lifting her off the ground. She grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling her head back to press her lips to his. Smiling into the kiss Eric spun her around, lips still attached.

Emily looked on at the scene in front of her. Sobbing silently, she reminded herself of Calleigh as a young child. So independent, adamant, as a teenager, that she did not need a man to survive. Now, here she was, engaged to a wonderful man, one that would die for her, and Emily couldn't be happier. Bringing her hands together, she began to clap slowly, Eric parents and Calleigh's father joining in.

Pulling away from each other, Eric placed Calleigh on the floor gently. "I love you so much. I am _the _happiest man on the planet right now."

Calleigh laced their fingers and smiled at him sweetly, "And I am the happiest woman on the planet."

Staring into each other's eyes they knew that they had it. The one thing that everyone wanted and envied. The one thing people seek and sometimes never find. The one thing they dared not to lose, for fear they might never get it back. The one thing that was the most valuable, it was priceless. The one thing that could never be replaced. The one thing that they treasured more than themselves.

Each other.

And once they had it, they would never let it go. Their lives were complete, they wanted nothing more.

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_**I had such a hard time trying to get THE perfect moment…and this came to mind…thx to my friend who helped me!! XD**_

_**Review plz!! And tell me what you think!! Remember that this is fanfiction…and I highly doubt it would happen in the show…but tell me what you think!! PLEASE!! :D**_

_**Love you guyz!! xoxo**_

_**®0$!3**_


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